• Home
  • Videos
  • Print
  • Partners
  • More
    • Home
    • Videos
    • Print
    • Partners
  • Home
  • Videos
  • Print
  • Partners

ABOUT | Once Was Media

Welcome all history lovers and keepers of the past! We at Once Was Media combine our decades of technical experience in print and multimedia publishing with our insatiable interest in all things historical to bring engaging products to the public that showcase the rich diversity of historical accounts of importance. 

SERVICES

In addition to developing our own products, we very much enjoy and appreciate working with historical societies, museums, libraries, archives, and other individuals and organizations involved with historical missions, storytelling, and preservations.

Book Production

We have decades of experience producing large, top-quality higher education and professional-learning printed textbooks for the leading U.S. education publishers, including Pearson Education, Prentice Hall,  Addison-Wesley, O'Reilly Media, Apress, IDG Books, and others. Large or small, simple or complex, we have the editorial and layout skills to make your product look beautiful and be error-free.

Film & Video Production

We keep up with the latest video and editing software, so we can capture your vision anew and/or provide professional editing services for footage you already have. 

Closed-Circuit Video Production

Does your organization need a looped video or presentation for a public space, such as a lobby, waiting room, or curated visitor space? We can provide the level of production that you require—from simple to complex—for your display needs.

Smaller Print Resources Production

Entire magazines, pamphlets, brochures, advertisements for print or online, posters, or whatever your needs require to get your message out there—we can tackle it efficiently and professionally.

Consulting Services

Not sure what you need to get the job done? Give us a call and we're happy to give you a free consultation on how we can make it happen. Ongoing fee-based consulting services are also available.

Meet Our Team

Michael Payne

Michael Payne

Michael Payne

EDITORIAL & DEVELOPMENT MGR

Michael Payne has worked in Higher Education educational publishing for more than 35 years. He has broad and deep experience managing the development and publication of books, software, video, and other content-rich media assets.  Michael moved to Harwich, MA in 2016 and continues to enjoy the history and beauty of Cape Cod. He regularly volunteers with the Harwich Conservation Trust conducting guided constellation tours of the night sky from the Marconi Area observation platform. 

Ralph Moore

Michael Payne

Michael Payne

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & TECHNICAL MGR

Ralph Moore is an acclaimed filmmaker who has proven that compelling storytelling doesn’t require extravagant budgets. His belief is simple: natural enthusiasm and a thirsty curiosity are keys to creating a film that will resonate with audiences. His debut short, iMistress, earned Audience Choice for ‘Best Short Film’ at the 2012 Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival. He has since written, directed, produced, and edited several no-budget shorts. In addition to his filmmaking pursuits, Ralph spends his time writing, editing, and lending his voice to multimedia training products for Pearson Education and others. 

Vanessa Moore

Michael Payne

Vanessa Moore

PRODUCTION & MARKETING MGR

Over the past 33 years, Vanessa Moore has worked her way through the printing and publishing industries in New York, Boston, the Caribbean (St. Thomas), and currently Plymouth, MA. Since 1991, she has produced hundreds of textbooks for the leading national educational publishers, as well as monthly print and online magazines. She provides full graphic design services and self-publishing services for individuals and organizations who wish to bring to life their works of fiction and nonfiction in the forms of memoirs, cookbooks, poetry and short story compilations and anthologies, as well as custom artwork, and more. 

Support Our Film

Your support will help toward the production of our documentary, Guardians of the Dunes. The Radish Association is just one story highlighted in the film. With purchase of this fun, original t-shirt, you will be listed as a "Supporter" and "Honorary Member of the North Truro Radish Association" in the film's credits.

Buy T-shirt $25

Follow us on social for updates.

Copyright © 2026 Once Was Media LLC - All Rights Reserved.

Powered by